Stilt.



PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5l/Witnesses No. 884,888.V j j y PATENTED JULY 28, 1808.. r J. P.MGGORMIOK.

. y STILT. APPLICATION PILD FEB. 19, 1907.

@mienten Witnesses v JAMES F. MCCORMIOK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

, STILT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 19, 1907.

Patented July 28, 1908.

Serial No. 358,173.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MoOoEMroK, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stilts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stilts and attachments for the same. 4

One object of said invention is to provide a step which shall be capableof being readily applied to and vertically adjusted upon a stick orstandard.

A further object ofthe invention is to so construct the said step orsupporting device that it may be readily and conveniently raised orlowered upon the stick or standard by the person using the stilts, Whilewalking upon the latter.

A still further object of the invention isl to provide a device wherebythe sticks or Stande ards may be held and governed while the hands ofthe person using the stilts are otherwise employed.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve `theconstruction and operation of this class of devices.

' With these and other ends in view which- Will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theinvention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion .of astilt equipped with a step constructed in accordance with the principlesof the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail View taken from theopposite side and showing a portion of the device. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional detail view taken through the lower portion of the stepandthrough the adjacent portion of the stick or standard. Fig. 4 is aperspective detail view showing a portion of a belt having the stiltholding device which constitutes a part of the invention. Fig. 5illustrates a modified form of my invention.

Corresponding parts of the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The improved stilt step, which constitutes the essential part of theinvention, includes two side members A and B, which may beadvantageously formed, by bending, or forming a strap iron of suitabledimensions, although it is to be understood that no limitation is madeto this mode of construction,

inasmuch as the device may be formed by casting, of malleable iron orother suitable material, or it may be manufactured in any suitablemanner and of any material that may be deemed available for thepurpose.y Each ofthe side members includes a flat body portion 1 havingat its lower end a laterally extending bracket 2, said brackets of thetwo side members being provided at their upper edges with lips orflanges 3 3 that extend toward each other, said lips or flanges being ofapproximately triangular shape.

The side members A and B, the body portions of which are adapted to lieflat against the front and rear sides of the stilt stick or standard O,are connected at their upper ends by a yoke 4, the ends ofwhich may beconnected with the body portion of the side members by rivets 5; thecross-bar of said yoke being adapted to engage the outer side or face ofthe stilt standard; the lower ends of the side members A and B areconnected by a yoke 6, the arms of which may be secured upon the innerfaces of the laterally extending brackets 2 2 by means of rivets 7; thecross-bar of said yoke 6 being adapted to engage the inner side face ofthe stilt standar By the inner face of the stilt standard I mean thatside or face ofthe standard which in operation is adjacent to the personusing the stilts, the outer face being that which is outwardly exposed.It is obvious that brackets 2 2 extend in an inward direction, toward.each other. The apices of the triangular lips or flanges 3 3 areconnected by means of a rivet 8, to form the foot supporting portion ofthe stilt step.

Suitably connected with the cross-bar of the yoke 6 is an upwardextending arched resilient bar 9'having curved terminals 10 10 adaptedto bear against the inner face of the stilt standard; the bar 9 isprovided with an inward extending bracket 11 which is disposed asuitable distance above the foot supporting portion of the stilt step.This resilient bar or member may be advantageously formed of angularstrips or pieces D and E connected with each other by a bolt 12 as willbe clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By the action of the archedresilient bar, the cross-bars ofthe yokes 4 and 6 will be held with somedegree of pressure against the opposite sides of the stilt standard. Theouter side of the latter is provided at intervals with pins or studs 13having heads 14 adapted to engage an aperture l5 in the cross-bar of theyoke 4; said cross-bar being` provided at its upper and lower edges withoutwardly 'flaring lips 16 adapted to guide said cross-bar over theheaded pins or studs for the purpose of enabling the latter to engagethe aperture 15. A pair of stilts may be very readily constructed, byproviding sticks or standards of any desired length land of suitabledimensions in cross-section,

each of said standards .being provided with a suitable number of theheaded pins or studs 13 to enable the steps to be adjusted at variouselevations. The person using the stilts may, by pressing his foot upwardagainst the bracket 11 and then pressing outward against the archedresilient bar 9, disengage the aperture in the cross-bar of the yoke 4from the headed pin or stud engaged thereby, and the stilt step may thenbe readily slid or moved in an upward or downward direction, as may bedesired; with slight practice, this operation may be readily performedby the person using the stilts, without descending from the latter, andthe operator may thus very conveniently raise or lower himself, as maybe desired. Vhen the desired adjustment of the step has been effected,the pressure upon the resilient bar 9 is released, and the step willthus be retained by the headed stud most nearly adjacent to the loweredge of the cross-bar of the yoke 4.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings has been shown a modified form of myinvention, the same illustrating a connecting element such as a wire 17,the lower end of which has been suitably connected with the bracket 2extending from one of the side members of the stilt step; the opposite.end of the wire 1,7 is to be extended within convenient reach of theoperator who, by means of said wire, may adjust the stilt step in anupward direction, thus dispensing with the necessity of the bracket 11.

The person using the stilts carries a belt, a portion of which is shownat 18. Riveted or otherwise secured at each side of said belt is ametallic strap 19 having an oifset portion 20 provided with a terminalhook 21 behind which the upper end of the stilt may be confined whilethe hands of the operator are otherwise employed; the ends of the strapsopposite to the terminal hooks 21 are spaced from the belt and areprovided with notches 22 which may be usefully employed for the purposeof supporting articles that are to be carried by the person walking uponthe stilts, such as a basket, bucket o1l the like.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawingshereto annexed the operation and advantages of this invention will bereadily understood. The construction is extremely simple, and theimproved stilt steps may be readily adjusted. upon ordinary sticks, orstandards, by simply providing the latterwith the headed pins or studs13. The stilts may be usefully employed by fruit pickers, and for avariety of other purposes that will readily suggest themselves.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A stilt step comprising side members having laterally extendingbrackets provided with suitably connected lips or (langes, and yokesconnecting said side members near their upper and lower ends, thecross-bars of said yokes being spaced 'for the admission therebetween ofa stilt stick or standard; in combination with an arched resilient member connected with the lower yoke and provided intermediate its endswith a laterally extending bracket disposed above the brackets thatconstitute the foot supporting portion of the step.

2. A stilt step comprising side members provided at their lower endswith laterally extending brackets having suitably connected lips orflanges, and yokes connecting said side members near their upper andlower edges, the cross-bars of said yokes being spaced for the admissiontherebetween of a stilt stick or standard., and an arched resilientmember connected with the cross-bar of the lower yoke and having alaterally extending bracket disposed above the brackets that constitutethe 'foot supporting portion of the step; in combination with a stick orstandard having pins or studs adapted for engagement with the cross-barof the yoke connecting the upper ends of the side members.

3. A stilt step comprising side members provided at their lower endswith suitably connected foot supporting brackets, crossbars connectingthe sido members near their upper and lower ends and spaced for theadmission therebetween of a stilt stick or standard, and an archedresilient member connected with the lower cross-bar; in combination witha stick or standard having pins or studs adapted for engagement with theupper cross-bar.

4. A stilt step comprising side .members provided at their lower endswith laterally extending suitably connected foot supporting brackets,cross-bars crmmcting the side members near their upper and lower endsand spaced for the admission tllerebetween of a stick or standard, andan arched resilient member connected with the lower (-,ioss-lntr andhaving a laterally extending bracket disposed above the foot supportingbrackets, the upper cross-bar being provided with an aperture and withflaring lips at its upper and lower edges; in combination with astick'or standard having laterally extending headed` being spaced fortheadmission therebetween of a stick or standard, and resilient meansconnected with one of the cross-bars and extending in the direction ofthe opposite cross'- bar for engaging the stilt standard and causing theopposite sides of the latter to be gripped by the cross-bars.

6. A stilt governing or supporting device comprising a belt, and strapsattached to said belt, said straps having offset' portions provided withterminal hooks.

7. A stilt governing or supporting device comprising a belt and a strapattached to said belt and having an offset portion provided with aterminal hook, said strap being provided at its opposite end, which isslightly spacleld from the belt, with a supporting notc 8. A stiltincluding side members having laterally extending brackets provided withhorizontally disposed triangular lips or Hanges extending toward eachother and overlapping, meansfor uniting the overlapping portions, an uper yoke connecting said side members togetlher, a lower yoke secured tothe inner faces of the `laterally extending brackets, said lower yokebeing disposed at anangle with relation to the plane of the inner faceof the upper yoke to place its lower edge-in engagement with the stiltstandard.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. MCCORMICK.

Witnesses:

J. L. FLEMING, J. FRANK MCCORMICK.

